BLOG TOUR: Shadow Hills by Anastasia Hopcus

Today, I have Anastasia Hopcus here with us. Her debut novel, Shadow Hills, came out in July of this year. I have her book on my wishlist and can’t wait to read it! Please welcome Anastasia Hopcus!

Could you tell us a little about yourself?

I love music and, fortunately for me, I grew up in Austin where there's tons of live music. I try to go to SXSW every year, though last year I was so swamped with revisions that I only made it to four shows. But one of the bands was Les Savy Fav (a top-five-favorite of mine) so that made up for the meager number. I also have a weakness for puns (which might explain my love of all things British), but I’ve never been to the pun-off they have at Alamo Drafthouse every year. I’m afraid if I go, one of my friends will push me onstage and I’ll be forced to participate. I’m not much of a public joke teller. I prefer mine written down, then edited ten times before they’re thrown out there in the world.

I love your fiery red hair! The color appears to be the exact same color of the smoke on the book cover...Coincidence? How much input did you have on the book cover design? The book cover is visually stunning!

Thank you! I agree that the cover is really arresting. I had nothing to do with the design except for shrieking with excitement when they sent me the mock-up. The final cover is very similar; however, they decided to wrap the design around to the back, so it’s even more amazing. The color really is a coincidence (although I had sent them my photo for the book jacket so…hmm…something to think about).

Persephone (Phe) is a very interesting and unique name. How did you come up with it and how should it be pronounced?

Phe is pronounced Fee. Persephone is Per sef a nee, with the accent on sef. I wanted Greek myths and the goddess Hekate to figure into Shadow Hills, but it was only later on, while researching, that I found out how perfectly it all fit. Hekate actually plays a part in the myth where Hades abducts Persephone---I hadn’t read about Hekate’s role in that myth before, and it seemed almost kismet.

But as much as I adored the name Persephone, I knew from experience that this wasn’t what most people would call her. (When I was little, I couldn’t even say Anastasia and I went by Stacy instead.) So she needed a nickname, but Percy just didn’t feel right. It made me think of this guy from Buffy, and, of course, the famous series by fellow-Texan Rick Riordan. I even considered scrapping Persephone entirely, but, luckily, a girl I’d known in LA contacted me on Myspace and I saw that she was going by her last name, Fee. I realized if I just changed the spelling to Phe, it would be perfect for Persephone.

It also made sense for the nickname to have come from her sister, who would have been just a toddler when Phe was born and therefore unable to pronounce her baby sister’s name. This served the story because it was another connection Phe had to her sister, whose death was the impetus for Phe to go to Shadow Hills in the first place.

What was the most challenging aspect of writing Shadow Hills?

I did a major rewrite of Shadow Hills after getting feedback from a well-respected agent. Even though he didn't take on the book, he wrote me a long letter pointing out the inherent problems of the story. I knew fixing these would mean pulling the manuscript apart and re-doing the entire plot. Structure and timelines aren’t my strong suit---hence the issues in the original version---and moving scenes around while keeping everything in chronological order was my worst nightmare. Still, I was so connected to Phe and Zach and the other characters that I knew I had to do it. When I started submitting Shadow Hills again, I found my wonderful agent Meredith Kaffel right away.

What can we expect to see from you in the future? Are you currently working on anything?

I'd love to explore the secrets of Shadow Hills some more, and there's still a lot of story left to tell regarding Phe and Zach. But I'm also working on a YA paranormal set in 1830's London.

List 5 things about yourself that most people do not know...

1. I'm a Libra.
2. I'm of Polish descent on my father's side and I’m named after my Grandma who was born in the Ukraine.
3. I met David Boreanaz while doing karaoke at a bar in LA---the KJ (karaoke jockey---I know, I’m a dork) was a mutual friend, and he told David that I was a massive Buffy fan. I nearly fainted when David came over and said hi and GAVE ME A HUG! He was so incredibly nice and didn’t even laugh at my incoherent babbling. [ OMG!!! ]
4. I was a My Little Pony fanatic when I was little. Instead of bubbles I’d just dump an entire bag of My Little Ponies in the bath. And, just FYI, the base of the tails will start to grow mold if constantly wet. Yeah. Gross.
5. When I’m not plagued by Austin’s notorious allergies, I have a heightened sense of smell. I can be at a stoplight with all the windows up and still smell someone smoking from five cars in front of me. That’s why I never wear strong perfumes.
   

Thanks for including The Book Vixen on the tour!

Thank you for having me here. I really enjoyed talking with you. It's been great!

Be sure to check out the next stop on the Shadow Hills tour, tomorrow, at Mundie Moms :)

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About the book

His love captivated her... his secrets might kill her.

Since her sister’s mysterious death, Persephone “Phe” Archer has been plagued by a series of disturbing dreams. Determined to find out what happened to her sister, Phe enrolls at Devenish Prep in Shadow Hills, Massachusetts—the subject of her sister’s final diary entry.

After stepping on campus, Phe immediately realizes that there’s something different about this place—an unexplained epidemic that decimated the town in the 1700s, an ancient and creepy cemetery, and gorgeous boy Zach—and somehow she’s connected to it all.

But the more questions she asks and the deeper she digs, the more entangled Phe becomes in the haunting past of Shadow Hills. Finding what links her to this town…might cost her her life.

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About the Author

Anastasia is a full time writer who grew up in Austin, Texas, where she currently resides. She attended the Griffin School and opted for California over college. Anastasia considers the three years in LA her “higher education.” Anastasia embraces the music scene in Austin and attends the SXSW every year. She’s also a groupie for all things British.

Where to find Anastasia Hopcus online
website | blog | twitter | facebook